cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Wars In The Workplace





Marijuana Wars In The Workplace
Posted by CN Staff on February 04, 2009 at 05:36:11 PT
By Lauren Fox, News Reporter
Source: Oregon Daily Emerald
Oregon -- Since medical marijuana's legalization in the state in 1998, the number of registered cardholders has ballooned to more than 20,842 participants, most of whom use it to relieve extreme physical pain. But some say the rampant growth of Oregonians eligible to possess medical marijuana has led to an unintended rise in ethical dilemmas, including the ability of businesses to choose whether or not they want to fire employees based on their status as cardholders.Now, two opposing bills that could expand or limit the rights of cardholders in the workplace.
House Bill 2497 would expand an employer's ability to make hiring decisions based on an employee's status as a cardholder to maintain a drug-free workplace. However, House Bill 2503 would prohibit an employer from discriminating against an employee under certain circumstances where the discrimination is based on the employee's status as a medical marijuana registry cardholder.Only one of these bills can be approved by the legislature.Rep. Peter Buckley said HB 2503 was born out of his sympathy for individuals he met who wanted to fulfill their responsibilities at work while fighting painful medical conditions."It's an injustice to fire perfectly responsible employees with medical conditions," Buckley said. "I have had three members of my family die from cancer, and I would have given anything to see my dad continue working as a way for him to maintain his dignity."Although Buckley's bill prevents total extrication of medical marijuana cardholders from their jobs, it does allow employers to use their discretion in letting individuals go if their job requires them to be responsible for other people, such as a school bus driver, construction operator or a physician. Buckley says many medical marijuana advocates might be disappointed in the bill because it does not encompass a wide scope of professional careers, but he promises the bill is better than its alternative."We tried to pass the bill in 2007, and it wasn't successful, so we had to make some compromises," he said.HB 2497, which allows employers to fire workers for being cardholders, is a response to the rising number of questionable medical marijuana cardholders. Since the legalization of medical marijuana, 18,348 people are registered to use the drug as relief from severe pain."Using medical marijuana for terminal diseases was something we all had a heart for, but the system has been abused. There are a lot more people who take the drug for "pain" than cancer, glaucoma or aids combined," said J.L. Wilson, vice president of governmental affairs for Associated Oregon Industries. "We never thought people that were terminal would continue working at jobs, but now medical marijuana has become a get-out-of-jail-free card for people who want to abuse the substance and carry jobs."Monica, a freshman at the University who doesn't want her last name published for fear of legal repercussions, went to a doctor when she lived in California and spoke to him shortly about a false condition of night terrors. She said she easily obtained a prescription for medical marijuana. "As an abuser of the system, it may not be my place, but I don't think it is right to penalize people who really are sick and want to keep working," she said.In addition to questionable use, supporters of HB 2497 say prohibiting businesses from keeping a drug-free workplace can limit a business' opportunities to acquire national funding.Regardless of the outcome, some places of employment, including the University, have few qualms about hiring a medical marijuana cardholder."We don't really screen for it, except in our commercial drivers," Associate Vice President for Human Resources Linda King said. "We have had an instance when we inadvertently found out an employee was a cardholder, and it was not an issue for us. The only time it would be is if someone's safety was at risk."Source: Oregon Daily Emerald (U of Oregon, OR Edu)Author: Lauren Fox, News ReporterPublished: February 4, 2009Copyright: 2009 Oregon Daily EmeraldContact: letters dailyemerald.comWebsite: http://www.dailyemerald.com/URL http://drugsense.org/url/htbFndr4CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #10 posted by afterburner on May 19, 2010 at 21:44:44 PT
Health Freedom Amendment Needed More than Ever 
For quite a while, I have been advocating a Health Freedom Amendment. Now, the world's largest Health Freedom website has proposed such an amendment to safeguard the availability of heritage seeds & food and uncorrupted organic standards. They are also seeking input from concerned citizens.Open Letter: Health Freedom Bills and Constitutional Amendment:
The Freedom of Health Speech and Conscience Amendment
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=fqBLMjXD5o29j4YxbYrkSsdbOKFNd3mRI am concerned that if food & supplements are over-regulated (like drugs) by the FDA, FTC and Codex, --That instead of cannabis being treated like parsley, lettuce & tomatoes --That parsley, lettuce & tomatoes may be subject to the same corporate-influenced propaganda-based junk-science approach and arbitrary over-regulation that has been used to demonize, corrupt & prohibit cannabis.In other words if we don't oppose the attacks on organic standards, the lack of labeling of GMO franken-foods, the unrestricted use of untested and unproven nanotechnology on our food supply, we may end up with franken-pot and no clean food. These worldwide attacks on our health choices are being implemented by wrong-headed legislation, uninformed court rulings, and pressure by international "health" agencies and by the deep pockets of the pharmaceutical industry. The result of inaction on these threats will be more sickness and death in the population.The following link are just a sample of the threats we face as proponents of nutrition & integrative alternative complementary and preventative medicine.U.S. Institute of Medicine Study Urges New Approach to Regulating Supplements – Big Pharma Influenced Doctors Get it Wrong Again.
May 18, 2010
http://www.anh-usa.org/u-s-institute-of-medicine-study-urges-new-approach-to-regulating-supplements-%E2%80%93-big-pharma-influenced-doctors-get-it-wrong-again/Nanotechnology: New Threat to Organic Foods.
May 18, 2010
http://www.anh-usa.org/nanotechnology-new-threat-to-organic-foods/Latest European Court of Justice Ruling on Supplements: Comme ci, Comme ça.
May 18, 2010
http://www.anh-usa.org/latest-european-court-of-justice-ruling-on-supplements-comme-ci-comme-ca/"Let your food be your medicine," said Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, who compiled a list of over four hundred herbs and their uses.If you want a visual approach to the subject, watch for the movie "How Weed Won the West" (2010), coming soon to your area. Sacred Cow Productions presents a film by Kevin Booth starring Alex Jones, Ethan Nadlemann, Bret Bogue, T. Rodgers, Freeway Ricky Ross, Ed Forchian - NJ Weedman, ..., Pineapple Kush Crew.  
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on February 05, 2009 at 07:52:07 PT
Hope
That's what he meant. He really was reasonable. If you do something illegal in front of a policeman he must as a policeman do his job. 
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Comment #8 posted by Hope on February 05, 2009 at 07:46:42 PT
Comments 6 and 7
FoM. That officer's use of the word "Flaunt"... more means "Careless"... in reality. "Don't be careless." If you're careless ... of course they'll have you. Good grief. I find it very difficult to believe that anyone purposely "Flaunts" their use to the police. Afterburner. "Funding" is not the correct word for that debacle, either. It should be more like "Draining". They won't let certain people have and keep a job because of what's in their blood and because of the little draining, financial blood letting they're allowed to suck on ... not whether said or potential employees are inebriated or incapacitated or not. That sounds fair and right.No... it doesn't, at all. If you have a couple of drinks this weekend or get sotted every night... you're ok. If you have marijuana, you're fired or unemployable... even if you are doing it "Legally"... even if they can only detect it with blood, urine, saliva or hair follicle testing. There's enough spite to go around. It doesn't really matter if your incapacitated by cannabis somehow. It's cannabis. They hate because of it. And besides they get extra money for it and the testing industry makes lots of money... and gets to intimidate the masses as an added bonus. Being a thoroughly attached, government approved, tax incentive leech could mean a few hundred dollars... regularly... and if you think the blood sucking smiters won't smite a person for the sake of a few hundred dollars "Donation incentive" from the government ... think again. First they ban you from work, or fire you, and then say you "Won't" work because of that cannabis use. They smite you and blame you because they had to smite you... for the money... not because you aren't capable of doing the job. It's what you consume... not how well you work.
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Comment #7 posted by afterburner on February 04, 2009 at 23:49:15 PT
Dream On
"HB 2497, which allows employers to fire workers for being cardholders"Again, we need a Health Freedom Amendment to outlaw this kind of abuse toward medical patients."supporters of HB 2497 say prohibiting businesses from keeping a drug-free workplace can limit a business' opportunities to acquire national funding.""national funding"? In today's economy? Get real. 
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on February 04, 2009 at 11:52:20 PT
Hope
I have always remembered what one policeman said in a chatroom years ago. He said we don't want to arrest people for smoking pot. He said but don't flaunt it under our noses because then we don't have a choice but to arrest you.
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Comment #5 posted by Hope on February 04, 2009 at 11:46:02 PT
Comment 2
“I feel certain it’s going to generate additional revenues that we need,” Simpson said after the meeting. “It’s going to be good for those individuals who do silly things and get in trouble, but they’re not going to be stigmatized.”
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Comment #4 posted by Hope on February 04, 2009 at 08:53:02 PT
A medicine that is not lethal at any dose?
Can't have that, can they?The ignorant, wicked, and cruel souls that would deny people the help they find in cannabis are really horrible people, I think.No use cursing them. They curse themselves.
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Comment #3 posted by Hope on February 04, 2009 at 08:47:54 PT
Nine ignorant, medical sadists in South Dakota. 
"The House Health and Human Services Committee voted 9-4 on Tuesday to kill HB1127, which would have legalized limited use of marijuana to treat symptoms of illnesses such as MS or the nausea that can accompany chemotherapy treatments."Sickening. Their decision is no less than deliberate torture.A "Gang" of nine on that committee decided to prolong misery in others.
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on February 04, 2009 at 07:28:06 PT
City Alters Prosecution of Certain Offenses
City Alters Prosecution of Certain Marijuana, Drug OffensesFebruary 4, 2009URL: http://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x2143285446/City-alters-prosecution-of-certain-marijuana-drug-offenses
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on February 04, 2009 at 06:04:56 PT
South Dakota: Panel Kills Med Marijuana Proposal 
February 3, 2009URL: http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D964CUM81
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